When did it become ok to not be responsible for your people?

So at the DNC we had some outing of some bad juju regarding how the nasty dirty process of finding a presidential candidate happens. Sorta of like “I want to eat sausage but I don’t want to know how it was/is made” thing. Same thing with this. We the people just don’t want to know how the parties elect who is going to run for president. We just don’t. Because it gives lie to the whole democratic process. Because, well, it’s not democratic and it’s very very dirty.

This was first noted in the Trump run up to nomination and even afterwards, with folks still sputtering because they couldn’t beat him and turned to the normal insider dirty tricks and got called out.

Now we see a similar pattern at the DNC. Again, no surprise and actually no dirt. At least not anymore than it already is. Speaks for itself as they say.

But here’s what chaffs my ass, that a supporter of former DNC chairperson Debbie Wasserman Schultz said. Read this quote and think when was the last time a leader stood up and said, wasn’t me it was my people. Ok but then who is responsible for those people? Do they walk in off the street and just do things? Do the reflect the mood and tone of their boss, are they rogues? Even if they are, they are still the responsibility of the chief. It’s always been that way. Roosevelt had a sign that said “The buck stops here” meaning he was ultimately responsible. But apparently in political land the leader isn’t responsible for the bad things, only the good things that their people do. So here now the quote…

“This is just a bump in the road. I think she was completely impartial in this process. Now, some of the people who worked for her sent out some completely inappropriate e-mails, and for that, they should be punished, not Debbie Wasserman Schultz.”, said Steve Effman, the former mayor of Sunrise and a longtime friend of DWS. (this taken from here: www.esquire.com Debbie Wasserman Schultz)

So I get it: the message we send to our kids is: it’s ok that when you are in charge of a team that your people do things that are wrong, and don’t worry you aren’t responsible. Really? In the past, people who were leaders stood up for their people and lived and died by the teams actions, they didn’t cut someone loose and distance themselves… So now we are teaching that you can hire folks and lead them but if they do something wrong it’s all on them. Not on the leader for controlling things, for setting the tone and direction of folks, for weeding out the bad ones and keeping those who are on the same page… If you believe that, I have some swamp err good land in Florida to sell you, and a great bridge in NY…

So wake up here, get with it. Leaders have to stand for something, and have to be responsible for things good or bad. The faster this country learns that not everyone is perfect and that mistakes happen the better, but even better will be when folks learn that to lead is just that, to be out front taking the shots, being in the arena, and standing for something other than, OOHHH I didn’t say that, don’t punish me, but punish the person I hired directed and lead…. yeah.. That doesn’t work in my world.

You lead, you take the responsibility, good or bad. Stand there and deliver my friends. Enter that arena, but do so with the knowledge that YOU and only you are responsible.